Friday, July 29, 2016

Spiritual way of seeing things: Why we SHOUT when angry?

“Do you know why we SHOUT when angry? A Hindu sage who arrived at the Ganges River to take bath found a group of family members shouting in anger at each other.

He then turned to his disciples, and asked, “Why do people shout in anger at each other?” The disciples thought for a while. Then one of them said, “Because we lose our patience, we shout.”

“But, why shout when the other person is just next to you? Could you not express what you want to say in a soft manner?,” asked the sage.

Some disciples gave their answers but none satisfied the sage and the other disciples.

Finally the sage explained, “When two people are angry at each other, their hearts grow distant. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the louder they will have to shout to hear each other. Compare this to two people in love. They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small.”

He continued, “When they love each other even more, they do not speak, a mere whisper will suffice. And when they have ultimate love for each other, even a whisper is not needed. They have only to look at each other to communicate their feelings. That is how close two people can become when there is love.”

He looked at his disciples and said, “So when you argue do not let your hearts grow distant; watch your tongue – do not say words that distance each other, or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you cannot find the path to return.”